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Preparing for adulthood – Staying healthy, well and active

Supporting your child or young person through puberty, identity and relationships

As your child or young person with SEND approaches adulthood, understanding their own body, feelings, and identity is a vital part of their journey. With the right support, they can grow into confident, self-aware individuals who feel safe and proud of who they are.

Why self-understanding matters

For young people with SEND, developing a sense of self is not just about growing up, it’s about building independence, self-advocacy, and emotional resilience. Understanding their bodies, emotions, and identities helps them to:

Communicate their needs clearly
Recognise and manage changes
Set healthy boundaries
Build confidence in who they are

Puberty and physical changes

Puberty can be particularly challenging for young people with SEND, especially for those with sensory sensitivities, communication differences, or anxiety. They may need clear, visual, and repeated explanations to understand what’s happening to their bodies.

How you can help

Use visual aids, social stories, or body charts to explain changes
Reassure them that these changes are normal and expected
Create a safe space for questions, even if they ask the same ones repeatedly
Be mindful of sensory needs, changes like body hair, menstruation, or hygiene routines can be distressing

Useful websites for the following specific topics:

Identity, culture, and heritage

Young people with SEND may also be exploring their ethnic, cultural, or racial identity.

Recognising and embracing every part of who they are helps them feel proud and included.

Supportive steps:

Celebrate their heritage and culture at home
Share stories and role models they can relate to
Help them understand that difference is strength, not something to hide

Relationships and Boundaries

Understanding relationships, whether friendships, family, or romantic ones, is key to emotional wellbeing. Young people with SEND may need explicit teaching about:

What makes a healthy relationship
How to say “no” and set boundaries
Recognising safe vs. unsafe touch or behaviour

Tips for parents:

Reinforce that they have the right to make choices about their relationships
Be open to conversations about love, attraction, and consent
Use role play or visual stories to explain social situations

Relationships can be exciting, confusing, or both. Navigating this area, especially those with special education needs or disabilities (SEND), might take a little more guidance but it’s still their choice, and at their pace.

Support for Young People in Bromley

Sexual Health Bromley offers a dedicated young persons’ clinic for anyone under 25, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The clinic provides walk-in services and also accepts referrals from professionals such as school nurses and social workers for young people who may be vulnerable or have additional needs.

Tailored sexual health education sessions can also be made available for young people with SEND (aged 14 to 25) within a community or education setting. These sessions cover topics like relationships, boundaries, sexual exploitation, STIs, contraception, and accessing services, helping young people build healthy relationships and understand their rights and boundaries.

Final thoughts for parents and carers

Every young person’s journey is different. For those with SEND, it may take more time, more repetition, and more reassurance, but they are just as capable of understanding themselves and growing into confident adults.

You are their guide, their advocate, and their biggest ally. With your support, they can thrive.

Supporting mental wellbeing in young people with SEND

Mental health is just as important as physical health. Young people with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND), might find it harder to express how they are feeling or to recognise when they need help.

Helping your child build emotional awareness and giving them tools to cope can make a big difference to their wellbeing.

Anxiety, stress and panic

Stress and anxiety can look different in young people with SEND. Instead of verbalising their worries, they might:

Withdraw or become unusually quiet
Experience meltdowns or emotional outbursts
Show physical symptoms like stomach aches or headaches

What helps?

Create a calm, predictable environment
Use visual tools or emotion charts to help them name their feelings
Practice calming techniques together, like breathing exercises or sensory breaks

Helpful resources

Childline – Calm zone

Childline – Coping with panic attacks

Childline – Coping with stress

Young Minds – Anxiety and stress support

Sleep and tiredness in young people with SEND

Sleep difficulties are common among young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), especially those with autism, ADHD, or sensory processing differences. Poor sleep can affect mood, concentration, learning, behaviour, and emotional regulation, impacting overall wellbeing.

Tips for better sleep

Establish a consistent bedtime routine to help signal when it’s time to wind down.
Use visual schedules or bedtime routines to support understanding and reduce anxiety.
Create a calm and predictable sleep environment, using sensory-friendly bedding, blackout curtains, or white noise if helpful.
Adjust lighting to suit sensory needs – some children may benefit from dim lights or night lights.

Helpful Resources

Bromley Y – Workshops and tailored interventions for children and young people with SEND, including sleep-related wellbeing support.
Mencap – Sleep tips
National Autistic Society – Sleep strategies
Childline – Problems sleeping

Emotional and mental health

Everyone has emotional ups and downs, but for some young people with SEND, understanding and expressing emotions may require extra support.

A good tip for supporting emotional wellbeing is to create a Mental Health First Aid Kit, a personalised set of tools that might include:

Fidget toys or sensory items
A list of trusted people to talk to
Calming music of activities
Visual emotion cards or social stories

Find out more at:

Childline – Mental health support
YoungMinds – Mental health guide

Feeling lonely or isolated

Social situations can be challenging for young people with SEND, leading to feelings of loneliness or exclusion. This can impact their confidence, school engagement, and emotional health.

Ways to support connection:

Encourage participation in special interest clubs or online communities
Explore local befriending services tailored to SEND needs

Visit our Things to Do page to discover clubs, activities and leisure options.

Local support:

Bromley’s Tackling Loneliness Strategy (2022–2026) emphasises a whole-community approach to reducing loneliness across all age groups, including young people with SEND. The strategy highlights the importance of social connections and aims to build a culture where loneliness is recognised and addressed without stigma.

Befriending services in Bromley offer supportive, reliable relationships through volunteer befrienders to individuals who might otherwise be socially isolated. These services are designed to help young people with SEND build meaningful connections, boost self-esteem, and feel less alone.

For more information on befriending services and support options, visit the Bromley Befriending Services page.

Additional support, advice and guidance can also be found at Young Minds and Childline.

More support

Find out more information for children and young people up to 18 years of age on the emotional wellbeing and mental health page which outlines the support available for them. It includes information on crisis support services such as emergency contacts and the Bromley Mental Health Crisis Line, as well as details about local mental health services like Bromley Y and CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services), which offer assessment and treatment for more complex needs. The page also highlights tools like CAMHS Ready to help families and young people navigate support, and it explains community-based initiatives such as the Dynamic Support Register and Care Education and Treatment Reviews, which aim to reduce unnecessary hospital admissions by coordinating care in the community.

Supporting physical wellbeing in young people with SEND

For children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND), taking care of their bodies is more than just physical health, it is also a pathway to confidence, independence, and emotional wellbeing. With the right support, they can learn to make healthy choices that suit their individual needs and preferences.

Healthy eating

Nutrition plays a key role in energy levels, mood, and overall wellbeing. For young people with SEND, eating well may require adaptations to routines, sensory considerations, or support with understanding food choices.

Supportive strategies:

Use visual meal planners or food charts
Offer consistent routines around mealtimes
Be mindful of sensory sensitivities to textures, smells, or tastes
Involve them in food preparation to build independence

Helpful resources:

NHS – Healthy eating
Health for Teens – Nutrition

Did you know?

Nutrients like iron, B vitamins and Selenium can help reduce tiredness and irritability. Food that supports Serotonin production, such as oats, bananas, and eggs, can help your child or young person feel calmer and happier. Find out more at Health for Teens.

Sleep and tiredness in young people with SEND

Tips for better sleep

Establish a consistent bedtime routine to help signal when it’s time to wind down.
Use visual schedules or bedtime routines to support understanding and reduce anxiety.
Create a calm and predictable sleep environment, using sensory-friendly bedding, blackout curtains, or white noise if helpful.
Adjust lighting to suit sensory needs – some children may benefit from dim lights or night lights.

Helpful Resources

Bromley Y – Workshops and tailored interventions for children and young people with SEND, including sleep-related wellbeing support.
Mencap – Sleep tips
National Autistic Society – Sleep strategies
Childline – Problems sleeping

Sports and exercise

Physical activity supports physical health, but also mental wellbeing, social skills, and self-esteem. For young people with SEND, it’s important to find activities that match their interest, abilities, and sensory preferences.

Ideas to explore:

Team sport like football or netball
Individual activities like swimming, yoga, or dancing
Sensory-friendly movement like trampolining or walking in nature

Visit our Things to Do page to discover clubs, activities and leisure options.

What’s recommended?

The NHS suggests that under 18s aim for around 60 minutes of physical activity each day. This should include be a mix of moderate and vigorous exercise. For young adults aged 18 to 25, the advice is to aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate activity (or 75 minutes of vigorous activity) each week, spread out over several days. It’s also important to include activities that strengthen muscles at least twice a week.

What is moderate exercise?

Moderate exercise is lower-intensity activities like walking, cycling on flat ground, skipping, riding a scooter, walking the dog or walking to school. Moderate exercise raises your heart rate and may cause light sweating. One way to tell if you’re working at a moderate level is if you can still talk, but not sing, while doing it.

What is vigorous exercise?

Vigorous exercise is more energetic activities like running, swimming, football, rugby, dancing, martial arts and more. Vigorous exercise builds strength in muscles and bones, and gives a powerful boost to mood and self-esteem.

Moving on to adult health services

As your child grows older, their health needs may change and so might the services that support them.

Planning starts early, usually from Year 9 (age 13 to 14). It includes thinking about:

staying healthy
becoming independent
preparing for work or further education
being part of the community

Transitioning to adult health services

Moving to adult health services is called healthcare transition. It involves:

planning with your current health team (e.g. paediatricians, therapists)
identifying adult services that will continue support
helping your child manage their health needs

This might include learning:

when to visit a GP, pharmacist, or A&E
how to manage medication
how to stay healthy through diet, exercise, and lifestyle choices
where to get advice about relationships and sexual health

Annual health checks for young people with learning disabilities

From age 14, young people with a learning disability can get a free annual health check at their GP.

Regular checks help find health problems early and prevent serious illness. During the check, you will visit your doctor’s surgery and see a GP or nurse. They will:

carry out a general check-up, including weight, heart rate and blood pressure
talk about feelings and behaviour
ask about daily habits, food, and lifestyle
review any medicines your child takes
make sure long-term conditions like asthma or diabetes, are managed well
check if your child needs help from other health professionals, like physiotherapists or speech and language therapists

Visit the Adult Learning Disability Hub to learn more about annual health checks.

More information about annual health checks can be found on the NHS website.

Transitioning to adult mental health services

As young people get older, their mental health needs may continue after they turn 18. In Bromley, there is support to help with this change, but the process depends on each person’s needs.

What to expect

If your child is supported by CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services), planning for adult care starts about 3 to 6 months before their 18th birthday. The CAMHS team will lead this planning and involve:

Your child and your family or carers
Adult mental health professionals if a referral is needed
A personalised plan to make sure care continues smoothly

Families should talk to their CAMHS worker for advice that fits their situation.

Adult mental health services in Bromley

If your child still needs mental health support after turning 18, they may be referred to the Bromley Mental Health Hub.

This hub is run by Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust and BLG Mind. It supports adults aged 18 to 64 and offers:

NHS mental health services
Talking therapies
Peer support
Advice on jobs and housing
Recovery College for those with long-term needs

The hub uses a “no wrong door” approach, meaning every referral is checked and sent to the right service, even if the first contact isn’t the best fit.

Other options

Not all young people will need adult mental health services. If not, CAMHS can help you find other support, such as:

Community wellbeing services
Voluntary organisations
GP led care and talking therapies

Where to get help

Talk to your CAMHS worker: They can explain the process and your options.
Visit the Bromley Mental Health Hub: For adult mental health services.
Visit Bromley Y: For emotional wellbeing support for young people up to 18, or up to age 25 if they have an Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP).
Visit the NHS website: For moving on to adult mental health services.
Visit the Bromley Adult Learning Disability Hub: For adults with learning disabilities.

Learning disability health checks

People with learning disabilities often have difficulty in recognising illness, communicating their needs and using health services. Regular health checks can detect treatable illnesses and help prevent more serious ones, as well as familiarising the young person with the GP practice which they may use throughout their adult life.

Annual health checks are being offered to everyone registered with a confirmed learning disability from the age of 14+. Local NHS services are working closely together to identify young people that will be eligible for this service at their local GP practice. For families and young people who would like to access this service, please speak to your GP.

You can find more information about the annual health check for people with learning disabilities, what the GP Learning Disability Register is, who should be on the register and the benefits of being on the register at Contact for families with disabled children’s website.

Further information about annual health checks for people with learning disabilities is available in a downloadable guide for parent and carers in Bromley.

Do not assume that your GP will have automatically registered your young person on the learning disability register.
If your young person has a learning disability you will need to make sure that this is flagged on their electronic record with their GP.
Contact them now to make sure that your young people receive the best possible health care now and in the future.

Please note that this does not automatically extend eligibility for adult LD (Social Care) services at age 18+.

Bromley has launched a new questionnaire tool to help families and young people who may have a learning disability think about whether they might be eligible for the learning disability annual health check. The completed questionnaire can be shared with GPs to support decisions about accessing the health check.

Download the learning disability health check tool.

Mencap’s easy read guide about annual health checks explains:

what a health check is
how to get a health check
how to find out more information about health checks

If you have any questions or queries about the learning disability annual health check please discuss with the GP practice. Should there be any further concerns please raise with the practice manager. If your query remains unresolved you can contact the Clinical Commissioning Group in Bromley by email to bromley.contactus@selondonics.nhs.uk.

Medication review

You may also want to use the health check appointment to ask the GP for a review of any medication your young person is taking. You can of course discuss any concerns you have around medication at any other appointments you may have and do not need to wait until the Annual Health check to have this conversation.

Find out more about Supporting Treatment and Appropriate Medication in Paediatrics (STAMP).

Vaccinations and immunisations

It is important to make sure your child has their routine vaccinations at the right age, to protect them as early as possible and minimise the risk of infection. Childhood vaccinations are provided free by the NHS to all children. For more information see the NHS vaccination timetable.

Discover clubs, activities and leisure options. Head to our Things to Do page.

Visit the Young SEND Matters website or the Adult Learning Disability Hub for more information.

For free, impartial advice, contact Bromley IASS (Information, Advice and Support Service).